Pneumatic cotton-harvester.



No. 850,700. PATENTED APR. 16, 907. J. B. WORSWIGK.

PNEUMATIC COTTON HARVESTISR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1900.

4 sums-sum 2.

'INVENTOH JAMESEWORSWICK ATTORNEYS "NE "ORR" DITI'W WASNINGTGI, D. c.

PATENTED APR. 1.6, 1907;

E H I M A X E J. E. WORSWIGK. PNEUMATIC COTTON HARVESTBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY .19, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR JAM as E.WOR5W|CR By A TTOHNE rs W/TNESE w m; NORRIS PEIERs 4:0,, WASNINGIUN, a. c,

p f JAMES NITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE,

"wonswicK, or MoN'reo IERY, ALAeAML' I ONE'mLFi TO GEORGE P. HAARDT, OF MONTGOMERY ALABKMA.

PNEUMATIC co'ProN-i-iARvEsT ara.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. Wonswron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and '5 State of Alabama, 1' ve invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Cotton- Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a new coto ton-harvester or picking-machine of that i type which employs a pneumatic suction to 'iwithdraw the cottonfroni the bolls and trans fer it to its receiving-chamber. v

v Owing to the fact that the cotton-bolls do not all ripen at the same time, it is usually necessary to pick the fields over three or four ;times'"at intervals oifltw'o or three-weeks.

Experience and observation has. 1'horoughly demonstrated that-it is not possible to en- 20 dowi a ma chine with any discriminating function in picking the ripe bolls without injuring this factj'sutilizes the discriminating intelligence of human workers to direct and guide a 5 the- -picking-nozzles to the ripe bolls, whilealso utilizing. the pneumatic principle for completing the operation. I

My invention comprises a novel construc tidnand arrangement of picking-nozzles, 'a,: 30 novelconstruction'and arrangement of the receiving-chamber with provision for W cotton dr mgsandand dllfhfilld Ediidensed water and in the novel construe:

'tion and arrangement of suction andblowing 5 Qfans m connection with a motor, and in the novel construction and arrangement of a ventilated storage-receptacle and its accessories,

as will be hereinafter more fully described,

with reference to the drawings, irvwhich- 4o ,Figure 1 is'a'top plan view, partly in sec: tion, of my invention shown in place on the,

platform of a threewheel truck. Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front end view looking from right to left in 5 Fig. 1, but having the cotton receiving and drying chamber removed and partiallyindi- 'cated in dotted lines and the suction-'fanjand other parts in section. Fig. 4'is1a longitudie nalsection through the picking-nozzle, and

. 50 Fig. 4 an end view of the same. Fig.1 5 isa longitudinal sectionof the receiving arid-dry ing cl amber; Fig; 6 is a section oftlie sa 1 on (i oi Fig. 5. Fig. is alongi the green ones, and my invention, recognizing the top part of the, Mr

T Specification of Letters Patent. Patented April 16, 1907. Application filed May 19,1906}. serial No. 317.781. 4

section of the picking-nozzle 'with central conical deflector, andFig. 8 is a detail of a su plementaldischarge-pipe.

bimilar reference letters and numerals indic'ate the same parts'in all 'theviews.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral 2 is the motor for. the suction electric motor, or other form of inotor;

platform P, Whiehis wider'at one end-thanit is at the other. i'lhewidefi'end of the 'la form is supported-i1 jonwheels'WWan 5th narrower end' p aced "above swivel truck-wheelW; {(Seen, ,4

On thebro'ad' l consisting of aniinclo's connected;'eoncentricallyby y shers-P P? 3% With a transverselhorizonta cotton-receiving chamber, B Xtending th lfull case 3 (see be thrownfthi' to be described.'- concentrically with the This motor is mounted upon-Tone.- sideof aj. I

'r wholly aro'un' the jsameis' ovenwiregs'crenb, jwhich aiii tfls 'alid, and-Water 110"- ff V ghthe 'same into thespace.

.' 7 betweenthIescreen-lining: 6 and theouter} 1 case 3, whenceit is removed,"as presently" j .85 axis of the fan and opposite the inlet pipe."'

coupling 34 is a'fflex'ible' cushion 5, a must. which the cott'on-seed;--and sand str' e as they enter the fan-case and by; which", the

cotton is prevented from" wrappin' around the fan-shaft and is deflected to .t eoutei Periphery screen 6, through {'which the dirt This cushion receives the'imp'act of t e cotton-seed and? 'r'e'vents them" from, being burst or bruiseand-thereby rendered unfit for seed. ,This cushion-disk rotates with the fan and by its centrifugal action distributes the cotton in the fan-case,

Emerging tang'entially from. the fan-case of the"fan', jus t inside the circular asses.

is the outlet or discharge'pipe 8, which enters,

e storage receptacle 9 Thi', is a large 't-ventilated cylinder which ,stands [011: the narrower end of the "'he bottom of the outlet-pipe 8 where it leaves the fan-case there-is located one or more traps with discharge-doors for removing sand, dirt," and water. These traps are shown in Fig. 3. The first trap 25 communicates with the space 7 between the 1 0 second trap 26 is somewhat smaller and has a raised deflector 30 on one side and a wire screen 29 on the other side neXt' to the fan. This trap receives the impurities which .the

other tra does not catch, the screen 29 guiding t e cotton and seed over the deflector 30. A large cork 28 forms a suflicient closure for the outlet from this trap.

- Mounted on the platform between the-en-" gine andsuctionfan is a fan-blower 10, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) which I term a volumeblower. This blower is driven direct from the engine by a belt 16, and another belt 12 connects the engine with the suction-fan 4. The blower 10 has a discharge-pi e 11, which .2 5 passes under-the platform (see ig. 2) and communicates with a central'stand-pipe 14:,

- which rises within the storage-cylinder 9 to nearly the top ofthe same. The standpipe 14 is a pipe of perforated metal or woven.

go wire through which air is discharged into the storage-receptaclein a diffused body, for the purpose hereafter described. In the bottom of the storage-cylinder 9 on one side of the central pipe there is a hopper-sha ed depression'13, Fig. 2, with a sliding out et-gate 31, through which the-cotton is' discharged. The urpose of the diflused air-blast introduced into the pipe 14 is to drive air through the cotton to dry it. 31 is a door in the side 6 of the storage-receptacle, which gives pas.-

sage to a man or boy to clean out the receptacle'when desired and for other purposes hereafter described.

The chamber B is a long horizontal cylinder, Figs. 1, 5, and 6, which is an intermediate receiving-chamber for the cotton between the picking-hose and the suction-fan.

This receiving-chamber forms an artificiallyheated drying-flue for the cotton, and for this purpose it is supported by brackets 19 concentrically within a sheet-metal casing 18, and into the annular space between the casing and the receiving-flue the eXhaust-' pipe 33 of the gasolene-engine is tapped, so

that the hot exhaust-gases of the gasoleneengine are made to circulate around about the receivingjlflue B, which heats and drys the cotton w 'le in transit through the same.

, The opposite end of the casing 18 is open tothe air, as seen at 32, to permit the gases to pass out. I

Into the side of the receiving-flue B, 1,

there are connected any desired number of thimbles 21, which pass through the casing 18 and-connect with the flexible hose-secreceiving-flue B at'points immediately oppoions 20to receive the cotton and seeds as flue, said cushions being of such a yielding nature to prevent the breaking or bruising of the seed. These cushions are formed in detachable cups or sleeves so as to be easily replaced.

Fig. 5) is a perforated screen or false bottom I), over which the seed, cotton, and impurities are drawn on the way to the outlet 34 to the suction-fan. Below this, screen-floor or false-bottom is a trap 50, having a cap-stopper-b for its outlet, and above the outlet is a perforated sleeve b, containing a sponge b for absorbing the condensed moisture and which may be removed from time to time through the capto squeeze out the water and remove any sand or dirt from the trap.

Referring to Fig.2, 35 is an air-float which slides up and down within the perforated stand-pipe 14of the storage-receptacle and is suspended fromQa small rope 36, passing 'around'pulleys 37 '37, and provided with a handle 38 on the outside. Hinged doors E at the top. of the stand-pipe close the upper end of the same to keep-the cotton out of the stand-pipe, but allow of the passage of the rope and the insertion and removal of the float. This float is balanced on the air be low it and causes the air to issue laterally into the cottonjthrou'ghthe lower portion of the stand-pipe or through its entire height, according to the position of the float. The stora e-receptacle is made of light galvanized sheet-steel or screen wire and is provided 'with a. waterproof cover. Its open character permits the air to escape as it is forced through the cotton. The float has a concave bottom, and it is also made hollow with an opening in the top to receive adjustable "weights to hold it down with a varying load to regulate the air-pressure below it. For a high air-pressure the weights in the float are sure below it causes the float to rise and 0 en more issue-orifices in the stand-pipe, w ile if the pressure falls the float correspondingly descends and closes some of the issue-orifices, thus causing the air to pass through the cotton at a practically uniform pressure. By this means not only is the cotton dried, but all (lust and light trash is blown out of the cotton and the receptacle containing it.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 4, and 7, which illustrate the picking-nozzle, a is the pickingnozzle, which is made of galvanized sheetsteel. or any other suitable material, with a notched to form pointed inwardlyturned site the hose-thimbles 21 are impact-cush.

they are forcibly drawn into the receivingtions'22," each of which bears on'its end I picking-nozzle, hereafter-described. In the In the bottom ofthe receivin -flue B (see i increased and any variations in the air-presslightlyenlarged mouth, having along its peripheral margin an integral inturned flange v f as the dry .fifteen to twenty-five feet long. 'pose of the inturned teeth a is to nozzle a little, and as the fibers of the cotton from being run over by wheels.

teeth a have already become entangled in the teeth a they forcibly withdraw the cotton from the boll when the nozzle is drawn back, and then the cotton freely passes into the nozzle from the suction of the fan. Inside the nozzle as an adjunct to thesame I provide a conical deflector a, (see Fig. 7,) which is considerably smaller than the nozzle and has its conical outer face provided with pointed and inturned teeth. This deflector is supported concentrically within the nozzle by brackets a and set-screws a and is adjustable longitudinally within the nozzle, as shown by the dotted lines. The inlet for the cotton is in this instance annular and more contracted than in Fig. 4, and a more powerful suction is created and the cotton fibers are seized by the teeth on both the and those on the deflector so as to meet the conditions of drawing in dam or green cotton or frost-opened cotton, w ich.

does not respond so sensitively to the suction and fully-ripe'fiber. By adjusting the deflector forward or backward the size of the annular inlet-orifice may be varied, with a corresponding increase or diminution of the energy of the suction.

For unloading the storage-receptacle of its charge of cotton the receptacle is formed with the door 31 large enough to admit a man. The pipe 8, leading into the receptacle, is disconnected and a supplemental pipe 8", Fig. 8, with two elbows, is made to connect the discharge side of the fan 3 with the wagon. Then the workmen take the several picking-hose and'after removing their picking-nozzles the open ends of the hose are thrust into the cotton through door 31 of the receptacle and the cotton is drawn out of the receptacle and delivered to the wagon through the same channels through which it has passed in going from the plant to the storage-receptacle-i. e., it goes through the cleaning and drying flue, fan, and screening devices and gets a second cleaning and drying in being thus delivered from the receptacle to the wagon and at the same time makes a rapid and easy way of emptying the storage-receptacle as well as improving the quality of the cotton.

My cotton-harvester is of such width that the truck bridges two rows of cotton and is made adjustable as to height and width and will be provided with guards or shields to protect the cotton when passing over it and The pi in'g-hose is so arranged that the cotton 1' be picked before passing over it. The machine is drawn over the field by animal or motive power furnished by the motor that drives the fans, but preferably animal power, as during the cotton season the teams have very little to do. When picking cotton, the laborer takes hold of the joking-hose anywhere from one to three feet cm the mouth of the nozzle and directs or guides the nozzle to the open or ripe cotton, and when within from one to two inches thereof the cotton is drawn in by the suction created by the-fan and is sucked in as fast as the operator can present the nozzles to the cotton. The operator can easily handle two picking-nozzles, one in each hand. With this machine one man can easily pick more cotton than four of the fastest pickers can pick by the human hand. The machine will be provided with from four to six or more picking-hose. The same air which draws the cotton from the plant into the exhauster is used for blowin the'seed-cotton into the receptacle. hose used in connection with the pickingnozzle is of the ordinary steam or water hose. I have picked cotton through a length of twenty-five feet satisfactorily; but the length of hose to be used in connection with the picking nozzle when in general use will vary-that is, in sections where cotton does not grow over three feet in height longer hose will be used and shorter when cotton grows higher.

The four-hose picking-machine ready for Work in the field weighs about six hundred and fifty pounds and is drawn through field by the motor which drives the fan or byone horse, mule, or ox. The motive power con sists of a two-horse-power engine or motor to drive the machinery, and two men or boys of ordinary intelligence are all that is necessary to control and operate a four-hose pickingmachine, as each man handles two pickinghose, one in each hand. With thc'four-hose machine eight rows can be picked in passing over the field, and it is practical to increase its capacity to cover and pick twelve rows and not increase the motive power to more than three-horse power. The field-hands that handle and operate the machine are on their feet when picking cotton, which will readily be understood greatly facilitates the handling of the picking device, and the machine is not encumbered by useless weight. The operating machinery is all mounted on the truck, whose frame is of light steel with broad-tire wheels. The truck frame is eight feet long, bridges two rows of cotton, and can turn around in a space of less than its length.

My harvester prevents seed from being bruised or damaged in passing through the machine, cleans and dries the cotton from the time it enters the picking-nozzle until it is in the storage-receptacle. It is now gen- The ICC

final destination in he woven fabric.

erally known and admitted that when the seed-cotton is properly cleaned the enhancement in price is from two to five dollars per bale beyond the decrease in weight caused by taking out dirt, &c.

Damp or Wet cotton will neither gin nor sample well, owing to the fact that the gin? saws will cut the lint and clog the saws. Cotton fiber is weak and delicate and subject to much rough treatment before it reaches its Any system that improves the quality ,of the product in every operation is of great value. This my machine does from beginning to end. The seed as well as the cotton are dried out, so there is less danger of their heating or rotting, as is frequently the case with seed-cotton as now handled, and the dry seed bring the highest price. The quality of the lint is also greatly improved, owing to the fact of its being drawn by air a considerable distance through the picking-hose and discharged into the receiving-chamber, which I provide with cushions, also with perforated bottom forming a channelway for sand, dirt, water, 620., which is separated from the seed-cotton and is conveyed by same to the traps. As the seed-cotton isdischarged into the flue it comes in contact with cushions, which pre. vents destructive nnpact and allows su'fl1- cient time to drop sand and othertrash which is drawn over theperforated bottom and which the suction draws through into the channel-way and is arrested by the trap. Thus a large portion of sand, trash, &c., is taken from the seed-cotton before it reaches fan and it is impossible to mix back with the cotton. 4

When cotton has been wet by rain or heavy morning dew, a great deal of valuable time is lost to the planters by having to wait for the cotton to dry. With my machine this time will be saved and seed-cotton will be in as good condition after it is picked as if picked dry.

I do not confine my invention to the particular construction of the exhaust-fan shown, as this may be replaced by any'ordinary exhaust apparatus.

I claim- 1. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction apparatus, a recei\-*ingchamher, an inclosing heating-chamber and a plurality of suction hose-pipes extending through the heating-chamber and opening into the receiving chamber and having terminal nozzles adapted to be manually presented to the individual cotton-bolls by the operators.

2. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising-a suction apparatus, one or more flexible hose-pipes connecting therewith and having nozzles made of sheet metal having an in turned circular flange cut with notches to form a circular marginal ring of inturned teeth.

I 3. Apneum tic cotton-harvester, compris- ;1I lg a suction apparatus and one or more flexible hose-pipes connected therewith and each having a nozzle provided with an inturned flange and a concentric conical deflector adjustable to or from said flange.

4. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction apparatus and one or more flexible hose-pipes connectedtherewith and having nozzles provided with a concentric conical deflector and means for adjusting the same longitudinally.

5. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction apparatus and one or more flexible hose-pipes connected therewith,'-each pipe having a nozzle provided interiorly with a conical shell-deflector armed with inwardly pointed teeth located on the cone and brackets sustaining the shell in concentric position.

6. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction apparatus and one or more flexible hose-pipes connected therewith, nozzles each having inturned teeth around its mouth and a concentric deflector also having inturned teeth around the outer surface of the same.

7. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising suction hose-pipes with nozzles, a suction-fan, and an intermediate receivingchamber having flexible cushions fixed to the side of the receiving-chamber immediately opposite the points of entry ofthe hosepipes for recelving the impact of the seedcotton.

8. A pneumatic cotton-harvester having a .suction-fan provided concentrically with a having its-waste heat turned into the surrounding casing of the intermediate receiving-chamber ior drying the cotton in transit.

11. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising suctionhose-pipes ,with nozzles, a suction-fan and an intermediate horizontal receiving-chamber having afalse bottom of reticulated form and a plurality of lateral inlet connections for the hose-pipes and a low said opening a trap device for receiving sand and condensed water and a detachable closure for the same.

12. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising suction-pipes and a suction-fan, said lateralopening into the suction-fan, and be' fan having an inner peripheral lining of re-' ticulated material extending both above and belowthe fan, and a casing having an axially concentric inlet and a tangentially-arranged outlet and in its lower portion, near the outlet, a retaining-trap with outlet-door in the bottom of the same communicating with the space between the fan-casing and reticulated lining.

13. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising suction-pipes and a suction-fan, said an having an inner circular lining of woven wire orperforated material and two traps, one being in communication with the space between the fan-casing and perforated lining and the other having a raised deflector with a screen in front of it.

14. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction-fan for picking the cotton, a storage-receptacle for receiving it formed as an open or ventilated structure and a special pressure-blower having its dischargepipe tapped directly into the storage-receptacle for continuously delivering a supplemental blast of air into the same to dry and clean the cotton. I V

15. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction-fan for picking the cotton, a storage-receptacle for receiving the same formed as an open or ventilated structure, a perforated or open-mesh standpipe arranged centrally in the receptacle and means for introducing a blast of air into the lower end of the same. 7

16. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a suction-fan for picking the cotton, a storage-receptacle for receiving the same transverse receiving-chamber and extending tothe front of the machine, a suction-fan having its suction-pipe connected to said receiving-chamber, a storage-receptacle communicating with the discharge-pipe of the suction-fan, a blast-fan having its outlet-pipe discharging directly into the storage-receptacle and an engine for drivingthe two fans.

18. A pneumatic cotton-harvester, comprising a platform, a transverse horizontal receivin -chamber mounted thereon and having hose-couplings on one side, a suctionfan connected to said receivin -chamber, a storage-receptacle communicating with the discharge of the suction-fan, a blast-fan also discharging into the storage-receptacle, an engine for driving the two fans, a casing surrounding the receiving-chamber and having a pipe connecting the same to the engine to utilize its waste heat to heat the receivingchamber.

JAMES E. WORSVVICK.

Witnesses:

. S. E. WILSON,

T. H. GU TER 

